Nejikun: You will love me
by Silva Bramley
Summary: It was obvious that he didn’t love me. He didn’t even seem to like me. I will make him love me, if it’s the last thing I do. After all, it’s only proper for a husband to love his wife. NejixIno. Goes alongside Inopig: You're so annoying.
1. I can't cook!

**A/N: So, I decided to work on another idea that came into my head (like most ideas of mine) during Algebra. Now, Ino x Kiba is still my favorite couple, but really, I think all Ino x anybody couples are super cute. Probably because Ino is my favorite character that is female (of course Kiba is my favorite character of all time). Don't worry, I won't forget about my other story. I'll still update it, and this one. So anyway, enough babbling for now.**

**Dedication: To Rae-chan, my bestest friend. Even though she doesn't like Ino x Neji. Lol. **

**Disclaimer: Hm, I think the whole Naruto shizzam would be a wonderful Christmas present. (I don't own Naruto. Duh.)**

* * *

"Uhhhhh, five more minutes dad," I mumbled and tried to turn over. A firm hand grabbed my shoulder and stopped me from turning over and burying into the blankets and pillows. 

"Wake up," An annoyed voice said, nudging me. My eyes shot open as I heard the unfamiliar voice that wasn't my father. Leaning above me was Neji.

"Ugh, we were out late last night," I whined, and tried to turn over again.

"Wake up," Neji repeated. I frowned up at him.

"Just because you're my husband doesn't mean I'm your slave," I said, making one last attempt to turn back over.

"Sleeping in is improper, wives should be up early preparing meals," Neji said. I snorted.

"Preparing meals? Have you tasted my cooking?" I said. Neji's eyes narrowed. I sighed. How had I ended up married to this person I barely knew?

---

Flashback

"But Daddy!" I whined. My father, Inoichi, frowned, he was obviously annoyed. I could see why, I'd been whining constantly for about a week.

"No buts! You're getting married and that's it! No further arguments," He said. I frowned and crossed my arms across my chest.

"Why does it have to be Neji!?" I whined some more.

"Neji's clan is very wealthy and important to this village. Besides, Neji's a good person and a fine shinobi," Her father said.

"But I don't even know Neji, Daddyyyyyy," I whined, drawing out the last letter.

"Well, I guess now you can get to know him," He said, "You're the age to get married, and you haven't shown any interest in any of the other boys."

"Sasuke…" I mumbled.

"You know he left," My father said.

"So, I could marry him when he comes back!" I said, stubbornly.

"I doubt he'll come back, and if he does, you'll probably be an old lady," He said.

"I'm not marrying Neji!" I said defiantly. Inochi sighed.

"Yes you are, it's already been decided and the hokage accepted it," He said. I am definitely having a talk with Tsunade-sama.

End Flashback

---

"Neji, don't look at me like you hate me," I said, feeling uncomfortable under his intense glare.

"You're not joking that you can't cook?" Neji asked.

"I'm not joking, I really can't cook," I said in my most sincere voice possible.

"It's really not proper for girls not to cook the meals, so you should try any way," It was worded as a suggestion but the way he said it made it an order.

"I don't really care what is proper and what isn't," I said stubbornly. Stubborn was my middle name.

"You should," He said in a cold, even voice.

"You shouldn't," I shot back, trying to make mimic his icy tone.

"Come on," He said, standing up. Curious, I stood up and followed him. We walked down a hallway that I barely remembered coming down last night. The wedding ceremony had drug on for hours and it was in the wee hours of the night when we had made it home.

The hallway was long, and we passed several doors. The carpet beneath my feet was very spongy and soft, not to mention it's pretty purple color. After what seemed to be forever, we made it to the end of the hallway, where it ended in a door. Neji pushed the door open and continued leading me down the stairs. About half way down, I lost sight of him and when I came to the landing, I looked around unable to find Neji.

"Ino, this way," I heard him call from my right. So I turned right and found myself in a brightly lit room. "This is the kitchen," He said and I crossed my arms.

"I told you, I don't know how to cook," I had thought that he was going to show me something better than the stupid kitchen.

"You can try," He said.

"I _have_ tried. And it never works out!" I said, stubbornly of course. He sighed and I could tell that I was annoying him.

"I'm leaving, I'll be back later tonight, so you'll have plenty of time to work on a meal for supper. I suggest you start working on one now if your cooking skills are as bad as you make them sound."

"Wait, where are you going?!" I demanded. He couldn't just leave me all alone! He ignored me and left the room. I ran after him and grabbed his arm so he would stop. Neji turned to look at me, and I let go quickly. "Don't just leave me here all by myself," I said, cringing at how pathetic I sounded.

"Hn. I'm just going to go train," Neji said.

"You're going to train all day?" I asked, skeptical.

"I train a lot," He said. I must have looked miserable because he added, "You don't have to stay here all day. You can come and go as you please, I'm just expecting dinner when I get home."

"I can't cook," I whined. Bad choice. Neji sighed and left me alone in the kitchen/stairway area. "Neji?" I asked. I didn't hear any response, he was gone. I groaned and ran my hand through my hair. It was stiff, messy, and falling out of my wedding up do.

"Ugh, where's the bathroom?" I asked aloud, feeling lost in the humongous house that was now partly mine. I wandered up the stairs, and looked down the hallway. One of these doors had to lead to a bathroom.

Opening doors down the hallway, I found several empty rooms. In fact, the only rooms in the hallway that weren't empty were the bathroom and bedroom.

The bathroom, like the rest of the house, was huge. The décor in the room was rich and elaborate, and I felt like I was a princess. My dad hadn't been kidding when he said that the Hyuga Clan was important and rich.

After admiring the room I stepped in front of the mirror. Looking back at me was a horrifying sight. The girl in the mirror had crazy, blonde hair that was falling out of her ponytail. Her face looked weirdly pale, and her make up was smeared because she had slept with it on. I groaned. I had looked like this in front of Neji?

There had to be a bathtub or shower around here somewhere. I looked around and spotted a huge, ornate bathtub in the corner. It slightly resembled the Konoha hot springs, though not that big. I glanced back in the mirror, and the girl looking back was smiling dreamily. Obviously there were some upsides to being married to Neji.

Twisting the facets, the water began pouring in and over my legs. I couldn't help but sigh with relief as the water level rose up to my chin in the deep bathtub.

For most of the day, I wandered around my house, (and I particularly like being able to call it my house) and discovered that we had a nicely furnished sitting room and our bedroom was just lovely.

Then when the light coming in through the window began to falter and grow dim, I groaned, remembering that I had to make supper for Neji and myself. My stomach growled as I walked into the kitchen and explored the cabinets. I had forgotten all about lunch in my excitement and wonder.

About two hours later, Neji came home.

"Ino?" Neji called.

"In the kitchen!" I called back, staring sadly at my attempt at making a meal. Neji's nose wrinkled as he entered the room.

"Did you follow the recipe?" He asked in a quiet voice, injuring my pride in the process.

"Yes," I said upset that he asked.

"What is it?" Neji asked bluntly. I tried to hold them back, seriously, but I couldn't-and they came streaming down my face. Tears that is. I could see Neji's blurry face through my tears and I swear that his eyes were the size of saucers. "Why are you crying?" Neji asked, his voice still unemotional. Mine was the opposite.

"I-I-I can't c-c-c-c-cook to save m-m-m-my life!" I said, stuttering through my sobs.

"We could go out to eat tonight, and I could hire a maid," Neji said, and I was sure he would have said anything to make me stop crying. Well, it did work, a little. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and sniffed.

"You would?" I asked, sniffing again.

"Sure," Neji answered.

"Where are we going to eat at?" I asked.

"Wherever you'd like," He answered.

"So we don't have to go eat barbeque?" I asked, almost unbelieving.

"Not if you don't want to," Neji said, not seeing the significance of my question.

"Ok," I agreed. I jumped up and hugged him, glad that I didn't have to try and make any more meals. Cooking was hard work and I usually ended up frustrated. I let my arms fall to the side when I felt him stiffen under my embrace. I quickly let him go and took several quick steps back, letting my arms drop to my sides. "I'm sorry," I said, avoiding his eyes.

"Hn," He replied. There was an awkward silence before Neji began to walk towards the door. "Let's go, then," He said. I nodded and followed him out.

As we walked through the Hyuga Compound, I kept thinking back on how Neji reacted whenever I touched him. He always acted like he was surprised (which he shouldn't, I'm his wife after all) and he would stiffen or glare at me. It was obvious that he didn't love me. He didn't even seem to like me.

I will make him love me, if it's the last thing I do. After all, it's only proper for a husband to love his wife.

* * *

**A/N: Uhm, it's hard to keep Neji in character. Lol, especially for someone who's overly emotional like me.**


	2. Hinata's Suggestion

**A/N: Alrighty. Here's chapter two! Make sure you check out my coauthor's version of this story called "Inopig: You're so Annoying". You can still understand and make sense of this by just reading one version, but it's more interesting and gives you more information if you read both. Anyway, both versions will be underneath the characters Neji and Ino. Since we'll try to upload at the same time, our stories should be right next to each other. Well. Happy reading!**

_I'm out eating, and it's not barbeque! _I just couldn't get over that. Whenever we went out as a team (Asuma-sensei, Shikamaru, Chouji, and I) we always ate barbeque. Whenever I mentioned or complained that we went there all the time, they would tell me that it was tradition.

Needless to say, it was nice to eat something different for a change, and even the fact that Neji didn't talk to me at all during the whole meal couldn't bring down my joyful mood. At first I chattered non-stop in excitement, but eventually I grew tired of trying to talk to him. Talking to Neji was like talking to a brick wall, he was that unresponsive. It was like he was in a different place or something. I thought Shikamaru was bad, but at least he responded and pretended like he was listening to me.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. We went home, slept on the far opposite sides of the same bed, and I tried to fall asleep. It was so different from my home, where I could stretch across my bed. But I'm trying the whole "Make Neji like me thing," and I think hogging the bed would make Neji like me even less than he does now.

That morning I woke up before the sun had even risen. I don't usually wake up at such an early hour, and I wasn't sure what woke me up, but I couldn't get back to sleep. I turned over on my side and noticed that Neji was still asleep. Well, any sane person would still be asleep.

After a few minutes of trying to go back to sleep, unsuccessfully, I decided to go take a bath. I climbed out of bed slowly, careful not to wake my husband up. Neji, my husband, now that sounded weird. Hyuuga Ino, that was even weirder.

Once in the bathroom, I examined myself in the mirror while I waited for the tub to fill. My hair was a little messy, but not even close to how bad it was yesterday morning. I guess since I didn't have the whole bed, I didn't really toss and turn like I usually do at night. Turning away from the mirror, I headed over to the bath.

I stuck one foot in slowly, easing it into the hot water. Then I added the other foot and sat down. It was very soothing and relaxing. I'd never need to go to the hot springs again. I had my own little personal spa right here. As I leaned against the wall of the tub, I once again thought about my new name and life. It was funny how I'd always expected to be Uchiha Ino.

---

Flashback

"Tsunade-sama will see you now," Shizune said. I stood up and stormed into the office.

"HOKAGE-SAMA, HOW COULD YOU!" Ino raged, slamming a hand on her desk and pointing an accusing finger at her.

"How could I what?" Tsunade asked calmly.

"You know what I'm talking about! How could you agree to my marriage to Neji!" I said, anger still in my voice.

"Your Father made some very good points, and I agree that it's a good arrangement for you, Ino," She answered.

"It's not the best for me! You don't know who the best person for me is!" I yelled, making a slashing motion with my arm.

"Who do you think is the best choice for you, then?" The Hokage asked, her voice was still annoyingly calm. That stunned me for a second, and I paused, not sure how to answer. Of course I liked Sasuke, but it was different with him being gone. I couldn't rely on him, because I didn't know if he'd ever come back. I went through everybody in my head.

Shikamaru? No, we were friends and it'd be weird if we got married. The same with Chouji. Shino was too quiet and I didn't really want to declare that he was my best choice. Kiba was just as mouthy and loud as me, and I think our personalities would clash too much. Lee was a hard worker and I admired him, but I couldn't see myself with him. I also thought of Kankuro and Gaara, even though they lived in a different village. Kankuro wore face paint, which I didn't like, and I found his puppet jutsu very disturbing and creepy. Also, he had a big mouth similar to Kiba's. And Gaara? Well, frankly he scared me and he was younger than me.

I crossed my arms in anger, not able to think of a suitable person to pick as my best choice. I hadn't realized that I had always counted on Sasuke picking me over Sakura.

"Sasuke would be the best choice for me," I said, refusing to give up and still hoping that Sasuke would return and confess his love for me. Tsunade sighed.

"Ino, I think it would be best for you to get over Sasuke and move on. Don't plan your whole future on him, especially if he isn't here. What would you do if he never came back? What would happen then, Ino?" Tsunade said.

"Tsunade-sama, I don't want to get married to Neji, I don't even know him! What if we never love each other, and I spend the rest of my life in a loveless marriage?!" I said, getting desperate now. I didn't want to admit it, but I was scared.

"Ino, sometimes you have to go through with things. Even if it's scary now, maybe later on you'll be glad that you went along with this," Tsunade said, some how sensing my fear, and trying to sooth me.

"But what if I don't, what if I regret it? Tsunade-sama, I don't think I can go through with this. It's too hard. I'd rather live by myself for the rest of my life than marry someone and never love him," I said, holding back the tears with all my will.

"Ino, you have to be strong! Stop whining and suck it up!" Tsunade said, tersely. I was shocked, she had gone from soothing, to telling me to suck it up.

"Ok, Hokage-sama," I said, finally submitting.

"I'm sorry, Ino, I really am. But it's already decided, and I still think it's the best for you," She said. I just nodded, and walked out of her office. I was stuck, whether I wanted to or not. I was going to marry Neji.

End Flashback

---

_Huh. Back then I didn't even consider Naruto. He's too...different for me anyways.  
_

Then I pulled the drain out and climbed out of the bath. After I dressed and brushed my hair I walked back to the bedroom. I stopped beside the bed and looked down at the sleeping Neji. He looked so peaceful in his sleep and it was very endearing. I thought back on how scared I was to marry him, but it wasn't as bad as I had imagined it. Still, Neji didn't love me. Hopefully, that would change soon.

It was dawn, and the sun's first rays were shining in through the bedroom window. The light fell across his face, and his pale skin seemed to shine. Wow, I wonder if I looked as peaceful and angelic as I slept. Reluctantly I put my hand on his shoulder and shook him to wake him up.

"Neji-kun, wake up, it's dawn," I said softly. He stirred and his eyes fluttered open. I smiled down at him and felt that nagging feeling of insecurity, the feeling you get when you want someone to think highly of you, but you weren't sure if they did.

"Good morning, I'm heading down to the kitchen," I said, trying to keep my voice down. I thought he would appreciate it more if I was a little bit quieter. Neji had a surprised look on his face, and I think it was because he hadn't expected me to wake up before him. I hadn't even expected to wake up before him. I headed out the door, closing it almost all the way to give him some privacy, and walked down to the kitchen.

Of course, Neji had promised me he'd hire a maid last night, so we didn't have one yet. I didn't want to miss breakfast like I had the previous day, so I rummaged through the cupboards until I found something relatively quick and easy to make.

By the time Neji came into the kitchen, I was humming and just finishing making breakfast. I felt his chakra presence and turned to him with a smile.

"I thought you couldn't cook," Neji commented.

"Everyone can make this," I said, handing him a plate of toast, along with some butter and jelly. I wondered if I was making him happy, acting like a wife should. We both sat down at the table and I struggled with the silence.

"You sure are quiet today," I said, trying to make small talk.

"Hm," He said, taking a bite of his toast. We were both quiet for a few minutes.

"Did I do ok?" I asked, breaking the silence again.

"Yes," He said. He was being very formal, and I started thinking he was gonna start answering me with, "affirmative" or something. I glared at him, feeling anger swell up in me. Wasn't I acting like a good wife? Can't he be at least a little bit more casual at home? I mean we're just eating breakfast!

"Neji! I've been working hard to act like a good wife for you, and you can't even talk to me? If this is what I get for trying then maybe I shouldn't even try!" I said, frustrated with Neji and his coldness. I felt tears welling up with my eyes, but I blinked furiously. I had already cried in front of him once, and I didn't want to be even more pathetic and cry again, especially the very next day. I stood up from the table and carried my plate to the sink. Without looking at him, I started to leave the room.

"Where are you going?"

I stopped and turned to face him.

"To train with my team. I do train sometimes, you know!" I said, finding myself unable to control the volume of my voice as it rose. He didn't say anything in return. I guess he did think I never train!

I was still fuming when I arrived for training.

"What's the matter?" Chouji asked, sensing my bad mood. He was the only person there, and I figured that Shikamaru and Asuma would be there soon.

"That stupid Neji and the stupid marriage, and the stupid…" I said trailing off, muttering under my breath. Chouji nodded and resumed eating his chips, while I continued to complain about Neji.

"Having problems with Neji?" Shikamaru asked, plopping down beside Chouji and me.

"No matter how hard I try, he still doesn't like me," I whined to my teammates and best friends.

"That's because you're troublesome," Shikamaru answered, looking bored.

"But you always say that about everyone," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but you're probably annoying Neji by being whiney and taking everything personally. Also, you talk too much," Shikamaru said. I looked away, focusing on a training post. I didn't want to admit it, but that hurt, especially coming from one of my closest friends.

"I didn't realize that I was such a horrible person," I said, still looking away. I heard Shikamaru sigh.

"See? You take everything to heart. Tch, too troublesome," Shikamaru said.

"Alright, let's get to work," Asuma said, coming up at just the perfect time. I hadn't really known what to say back to that.

"Ino, you're not a horrible person," Chouji said, as we all stood up.

"Thanks," I said, though I was still miffed.

We trained for a while, working on our teamwork and reviewing basic skills. Towards the end we sparred, I was paired up with Shikamaru and Chouji was paired up with Asuma.  
Still feeling the hurt from his words from earlier, I gave it my all, punching and kicking Shikamaru harder than necessary. In the end, though, Shikamaru won. He nearly always did, planning each move out carefully and quickly. He really was a genius, too bad he didn't apply himself more. I was just happy to see him rubbing his arm and wincing with pain as we headed (to my extreme displeasure) to the barbeque restaurant.

I played with my lunch absentmindedly while thinking about my Neji problem. I had made a promise to make him love me, but so far I wasn't doing too well. I hadn't meant to, but this morning I had blown up. I guess I could try to be less annoying, and try not to force conversation as often. The only problem was, that I didn't want to change myself and live the rest of my life in an endless charade.

"Ino," Shikamaru said. I looked up and saw my team looking at me with worried faces.

"What?" I asked.

"Whenever you get stressed or you're forced to change, your personality gets unbearable because you become more whiney and it's easier to hurt your feelings. Just try to calm down and act more like your normal self," Shikamaru said.

I took in what he was saying. Now that I thought of it, I did feel more like crying lately than normal. Of course, getting married was a big change and was extremely stressful. What made it even more stressful, was that I was forced into it. I nodded.

"Thanks," I said, forgiving him for his earlier words and feeling guilty for punching and kicking him so hard.

When we finished our barbecue I headed back to my new home to see if Neji was finished with his training yet. When I arrived he wasn't home yet, but Hinata greeted me soon after I came inside.

"Hello Ino-chan."

"Hi, Hinata," I said, waiting to see if she wanted to ask me something. It was unusual for Hinata to be very talkative or social.

"Well, I've been playing with my little sister, but when I finish, I was wondering if you would like me to help you learn to cook."

I was surprised at her answer, and I figured Neji had been talking to her.

"Did Neji tell you to do that?" I asked defensively, angry that Neji would still be trying to get me to cook.

"Actually, no. I, I overheard you talking about it, and I-I just wondered i-if you wanted some h-help."

My expression softened when I saw that she was nervous, and I couldn't help but accept her offer.

"Okay, Hinata. You can help me learn to cook."

She offered me a small smile, and said she would meet me in the kitchen around four o'clock.

My heart jumped as I realized that maybe tonight I would have dinner for Neji.  
_Yes! _I thought. _Score one for Ino-chan! I will be the perfect wife Neji, and then you will love me. Just you wait and see._

**A/N: Rae-chan here! Melanie's coauthor. I wroted the last coupla paragraphs, and I thought an author's note from me would be deserving. - I was given this chapter unfinished, and I guess I figured out what kind of icing the cake needed to be finished off. Mel-chan and I have been bffs for a while now, and it's so fun to coauthor a story for you guys! Anyway, have an amazingly awesome -pauses for thought- ...um...oh yeah, it's Tuesday!**


	3. Dinner: Disaster or success?

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. It was Rae-chan's fault, so don't get mad at me. lol. Anyway, enjoy!**

Four o' clock found us in the kitchen, lightly dusted with flour. Hinata was teaching me to cook, and I wished I had thought of befriending her before. She was so nice and smart. Not to mention talented. It was so different from hanging out with Sakura, because we didn't fight and we actually talked and listened to each other.

"Hinata, this is fun. We need to do this more often," I said as I reached for the measuring cup and knocked the bag of flour over. There was a small poof as a cloud of flour drifted over us.

"See? Cooking doesn't have to be boring. It may be complicated, but with a little practice, I'm sure you won't have such a hard time with it," Hinata said, once our giggles quieted down and I began scooping up the flour that had dumped on the counter the best I could.

Hinata made cooking easy, breaking it down step-by-step. She was a lot easier to understand than a cook book, and a lot more fun. However, as we continued working on the meal, I noticed something: Hinata wasn't stuttering.

I stopped kneading the dough for a moment to ponder this. What caused this change in her? I looked around at the quiet kitchen and out into the dining room. Well, it was in private, and in her own house. So she was probably more comfortable. Suddenly, like getting slapped across the face, I realized what it was. Another crucial thing was missing. Of course! Why didn't I think of that earlier!?

I paused in my cooking to look over at Hinata and smile deviously. Hinata noticed this and met my look.

"What?" She asked. I could feel my smile growing wider.

"I was just thinking about how you weren't stuttering," I said. She continued to look at me, and I could tell she was confused. If it were physically possible, I'm sure my smile would have grown bigger.

"…And I think I figured out why. You like Naruto, don't you!" Promptly, a red blush spread across her face and she returned to the food. My mischievous grin changed into a triumphant one.

"I knew it! You like Naruto!" I trumpeted. Hinata's hand shot out and, with lightning speed, she covered my mouth. But it was too late, I had already said it.

"Shhh! Do you want everyone to hear you!?" She whispered. I pulled her hand off of my mouth and laughed.

"Who? Hinata, no one's here!" I said, still laughing.

"What if Neji came back, and he heard?" Hinata said timidly, her cheeks still burning red. She was desperately searching for something to back up her excuse.

"Oh, and Neji is going to spread it all around, and even tell Naruto himself," I said sarcastically. She looked slightly nervous, like this was a possibility, but then she laughed it off.

"Y-you're right," Hinata said.

"Ah, Hinata, don't start stuttering now!" I said exasperated. With bright smiles, we continued on with our cooking work. I was so proud of myself, and I couldn't wait to see Neji's reaction.

"Ino! Are you actually cooking?" A voice said with a light humor behind it. I turned around and I was surprised to see Neji. That was the most emotion I had received from him, and I liked it. It made me wonder how he would react when were actually eating.

"Yes, in fact, and I'm not done yet so you can come back later," I said, with a triumphant smile.

"I brought you some flowers." He said. I paused, and my smile faltered a bit. Flowers? Why? I tried to remember why he would have bought me flowers. _Oh yeah, the fight this morning_, I recalled. It seemed so long ago, and insignificant.

"Really?" He pulled a beautiful bouquet from behind his back, the flowers were just lovely and all, but why did he pick those ones? Surely dad would've told Neji what that color stands for…

"Oh, thanks..." I tried to sound appreciative, I really did. It was very difficult when I felt the heartstrings stretch between "he was trying," and "he picked the wrong flowers."

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"Um, those flowers are lavender."

"And?" I guess maybe he really didn't know, I thought.

"Lavender stands for distrust." I felt like I was guilty of betraying some secret that he shouldn't know.

"I'm sorry they aren't to your taste," he said bitterly. His eyes hardened, and I knew for sure he hadn't known what the flowers meant. I almost felt sorry for bringing it up, but I had to know if he had meant something by picking lavender.

_That's funny, they're the same color as his eyes_, I thought sarcastically.

"No, it's fine, I'm sure you didn't know what you were doing when you picked them," I said, fighting not to sound accusing. I don't think it came across very well, because he turned away and walked down the hall to take a shower.

Here I was, working hard to learn how to cook for him, and he was being stiff with me because of the meaning of a flower. It would have been easy to forgive and forget, but why the coldness? I decided to give up on trying to figure out the barren tundra that was Neji, and stalked back over to where I had been chopping previously, resuming with an anger filled fierceness. I chopped at whatever was in my hands, hardly noticing that I was grinding the tomatoes into mush.

"He was just trying to do something nice for you," Hinata said in a soft reassuring voice, "He didn't realize the meaning of the flowers. I know he really just wants you to be happy."

"I know, I know," I replied softly. We continued to finish up the meal in silence, while I fumed over Neji's stiffness. After a while I had completely taken my anger out on the tomatoes, and didn't feel so bad anymore. I heard the shower water turn on down the hallway, and hoped we would finish up soon so the meal would be ready by the time Neji got done in the shower. However, I got frustrated again as I heard his footsteps coming towards the kitchen.

"Ino?" I turned around to face Neji who had just finished cleaning up after a day of training by taking a shower. I liked how his wet hair reflected the sunlight. _Wait, what am I thinking? I'm mad at him, right?_

"What?" I snapped, angry that he had been stiff with me, and that I had been easily distracted by his good looks.

"I wanted to apologize for my reaction earlier. I didn't mean to get you the wrong flowers. Can you... forgive me?" I inwardly smiled as he stumbled over his apology. Male egos really were something. I found myself unable to be angry with him anymore. After all, he had broken the male code and apologized.

"...I guess..." I wasn't mad at him anymore, but my own ego stopped me from giving him any more than that.

"Ino?" Hinata asked quietly, as Neji was turning to go out the door.

"What?" I replied.

"The noodles are finished." I smiled. _Cha-ching! Time to make him speechless with my awesome wife skills! He will love me!_

"I guess you don't have to leave just yet, Neji. Why don't you just sit at the table, and I'll finish up getting this ready for us." I said. He nodded and went to sit at the kitchen table.

I scooped the noodles into a big bowl, mixing in some vegetables Hinata and I had cut up. Then I got out some sauce to pour over it, but paused and put the sauce in it's own bowl with a large ladle. That way, Neji could put as much sauce on as he wanted, and I didn't have to run the risk of putting too much in. I looked at Hinata, and she met my gaze with a reassuring smile. I nodded slightly and picked up both bowls in a rush of confidence.

It was poor judgment on my part, because half way across the floor to the table, I tripped. I managed save myself, but I couldn't save my precious work. The sound of the bowls hitting the floor echoed in the room, which suddenly fell quiet. Time stopped as we all processed what had just happened.

_NOOO! _I wailed in my mind. I could feel the tears coming, making my vision blurry and my throat burn.

Instinctively, I covered my face with my hands, ashamed and afraid to see the look on Neji's face. But, shockingly, I felt two strong arms encircle me. It had to be Neji, the strong, tall frame was proof of that. Despite how strange it felt, I rested my head on his shoulder and sobbed into the curve of his neck.

"Shh, it's okay. It'll be fine. It's just noodles. We can go out for dinner tonight, too," He said in a soothing voice, trying to calm the tears.

"N-no, I-I-I m-made you d-dinner. I-it was s-s-sposed to be s-special, I-I w-was going t-to p-prove I can b-be a g-good wife," I continued to cry. Did good wives trip and spill dinner on the floor? Did proper wives get overconfident and try to carry two bowls at once? No.

"Ino, it isn't about the noodles. Just the fact that you are trying so hard is enough," Neji said after a while. My sobs quieted in surprise. Once the shock of the horrifying fact that I had ruined dinner began to fade away, I noticed some things. First off, Neji was hugging me. Second, he was soothing me and saying all the right things.

"Neji-kun, do you love me?" I asked in the spur of the moment. I instantly regretted the spontaneous question, feeling worse every second he hesitated in his answer. For a moment, I was afraid that the worst possible answer ever would strike my ears, that he would reject me.

"I suppose. I mean, you are my wife, I should," He answered, sounding very unsure of himself. I felt my tension fade away, of course he wouldn't love me yet. True love didn't grow that fast. But he hadn't flat out rejected me, so I had made some progress. _Making dinner for Neji: SUCCESS!_

"Neji, let's go out for dinner tonight." I said, pulling away from him, to grab onto his hand and lead him out the door with a newfound spring of joy. But he stopped and turned to look back.

"Hinata?" He said, and I mentally slapped myself for forgetting my new friend.

"Thank you so much for cleaning that up."

"No problem, Neji-san."

As we headed out the door, I couldn't help but look forward to what was to come of our marriage. Things were really starting to look up.


	4. AN: Name Change and etc

**Dear Readers,**

**I have a few things to address quickly:**

**1. As you may have or may not have noticed, but I have changed my pen name. It used to be iluvkiba44, but now it is Silva Bramley. That is for two reasons. One, because iluvkiba44 is more like a username than a pen name. Two, because I go by so many web aliases (Melanie, Reina, Tayrn, Anna-mae) that I've decided to narrow them down to one, which will be Silva Bramley. So, I hope that doesn't confuse or upset anyone. And if someone does take up the name iluvkiba44, then just know that that is a different person entirely and I am not going back to the name.**

**2. I will still be updating my stories, but the updates will be much more slower and more far-in-between (sorry, since they were pretty slow in the first place!) due to a hectic schedule. I've recently been in a car accident (no one was hurt) but I'm going to be working more this summer to pay for it. Plus, my mother is pregnant, so I have to help her out more than I usually do. (enough about my social life, lol)**

**Also, I've started on a book that I hope to get published. So, when I do have chances to write, I'll probably write on that more than my fanfictions. **

**Now, here's a list of stories that are going to be updated the most:**

**Greater Good  
Please Don't Hurt Me  
A Symbol of Love**

**Here are the stories that probably won't be updated that often:**

**The Beginning of Forever  
Nightfall**

**And, here are the stories that probably won't be updated at all in the near future (I guess you can say they're on hiatus):**

**Neji-kun: You Will Love Me  
Te Amo**

**I'm sure I'll have one-shots still being posted, since I love to type one every once in a while. Though, it seems all my oneshots are sasukexino, lol.**

**3. I used to write strictly just Ino stories, but I've decided to branch out and write in other categories, too. So you'll notice that I've recently started a Harry Potter Story and I'll soon be starting a Fable one. (I know, I have too many stories already, but I can't help myself and I'm allowed to have as many as I like!) I don't see why that matters to you, but I've decided to fill you all in on that. =)**

**4. I've been on Fanfiction for a whole year now. Actually, a little longer now. lol. =) (I can't believe I only have two of my stories completed, though)**

**Alright, my author's note is running long now and I'm starting to ramble, so I'll end it now.**

**Yours,**

**Bram-chan. =)**


End file.
